TEMPE, Ariz. — Nolan Schanuel went into his winter with a couple clear objectives.
Get stronger. Increase bat speed.
The Angels’ first baseman is now confident he’s done both. It remains to be seen what the results will be.
“Anything can happen,” Schanuel said. “It’s baseball. I think it can help and it can hurt. There are pros and cons to everything.”
Although it’s counterintuitive to think that more bat speed could ever be a negative, Schanuel said so far he’s finding he’s “catching everything a little out front too much.” Having more bat speed means he’s got to adjust his timing for when to start his swing.
Every extra fraction of a second that the hitter can wait before making a swing decision allows him to get a little bit better idea of whether it’s a pitch he should attack.
Plate discipline has always been one of Schanuel’s strengths.
In his first 176 big-league games, Schanuel’s walk rate of 11.9% is better than the major-league average of 8.4% and his strikeout rate of 16.5% is better than the big-league average of 22.7%.
That’s resulted in a .255 average and a .354 on-base percentage, which are also both better than the major-league average.
His slugging percentage, however, is just .357, which is worse than the big-league average of .399. The big-league average for a first baseman was .414.
Although Schanuel did hit 13 homers last year, the underlying metrics measuring his power were not good. He was toward the bottom of the majors in average exit velocity (86.1 mph), bat speed (65.2 mph) and hard hit percentage (25.4%).
Schanuel said he’s not only looking to increase homers, but also “gap-to-gap power, more doubles.” He hit 19 doubles last season.
“I got straight to work right after the season ended,” Schanuel said. “I knew what I needed to work on. Got straight to it. Didn’t lay off.”
Schanuel said he did drills in which he alternated swinging with a heavier than usual bat and a lighter than usual bat. The overweight bat builds strength, and then the underweight bat develops speed.
Schanuel also did half- and quarter-swing drills, in which he’d swing as hard as he could and then stop mid-swing.
So far this spring, Schanuel is 2 for 5 with a double that one-hopped the fence. His only game in a Statcast-equipped ballpark was Tuesday in Peoria. He had an exit velocity of 102 mph on a groundout.
Besides the baseball work, he also added muscle in the gym, going up to about 235 pounds. He said he started last season at 220 and finished at about 210. (For the record, Schanuel did not do the now-infamous stand-all-day routine he tried last winter.)
The weight loss during the season was a symptom of Schanuel’s first time through the grind of a full professional season. Schanuel, 23, was in college at the start of 2023.
Early in the year, Schanuel was so unaccustomed to the rigors of everyday baseball that manager Ron Washington wouldn’t play him in day games because he felt he was lacking energy.
“I experienced it,” Schanuel said. “I’ve had a year under my belt and now I know what I’m getting into. I know how to approach it and I know how to keep my body healthy. I know how to stay on the field and help the team win.”
The Angels will need Schanuel to be prepared to play every day because there may not be another natural first baseman on the roster. The next two on the depth chart are Ryan Noda and Niko Kavadas, but it’s going to be difficult for the Angels to keep either of them on the bench because they don’t play any other infield positions. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud could play first occasionally, perhaps if the Angels are facing a tough lefty, Washington said.
Schanuel said his individual goal for the season is simply about staying on the field.
“I’m going to go out and play as many games as possible, stay healthy, win as many games as possible, go to the playoffs,” Schanuel said. “That’s the ultimate goal. Everyone’s ultimate goal is to win a World Series.”
SICK BAY
Washington was away from the team for a third straight day because of a flu-like sickness that has gone through the clubhouse. Infield coach Ryan Goins and was also out for a second straight day.
Bench coach Ray Montgomery, who ran the team again Wednesday, said they have told Washington to get better rather than rushing back to work.
“We’re good,” Montgomery said. “We’ve got everything covered. It kills him not to be here.”
Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz, who had also been sick, returned to the ballpark Wednesday. It would be Kochanowicz’s turn to start Thursday against the Chicago Cubs, but as of Wednesday morning the Angels hadn’t decided if he would be ready to do that. Right-hander Caden Dana is a candidate to start if Kochanowicz doesn’t.
Infielder Luis Rengifo, who was sick over the weekend, is scheduled to play in a game for the first time Friday.
NOTES
Mike Trout was in the lineup at DH on Wednesday, with Jorge Soler getting an opportunity in right field. Trout said he’s fine, and he’ll be back in right field Friday. …
On Friday, the Angels have a day-night split-squad, with a day game at home against the Chicago White Sox and a night game against the Dodgers in Glendale. Although most of the regular players are likely to play at home, left-hander Yusei Kikuchi is scheduled to make his first start of the spring in the night game. For what it’s worth, Kikuchi is going to face the White Sox on Opening Day in Chicago. Reid Detmers will start the home game.